


Left Behind

by fadedkitten



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: AU - Rhett and Link are 27 but it's like modern, M/M, Mustache!Link, link - Freeform, randl, rhett - Freeform, rhink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25799668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedkitten/pseuds/fadedkitten
Summary: A 17 year old Rhett decides he's better off living with a family member of his in order to get away from his hometown, leaving his best friend, Link, behind. After 10 years, Link never thought he'd see Rhett's face again. But Link's not so welcoming, unlike Rhett's expectations.EDIT: I sadly will not be continuing this fic :(
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 20
Kudos: 36





	1. Rhett

Link can feel his warm blood drip down his nose and over his lip, looking down at his hand hovering just under his chin, catching blood droplets as they stained the palm of his hand. He licks his lips and looks up to see Mr. McLaughlin's, his fist balled, and he can see his knuckles tinted bright red. Mrs. McLaughlin's arm is wrapped tightly around his, holding him back from doing something worse.

Link can hear his mother's voice, muffled, but he can tell how loud she was screaming from behind. Suddenly, a pair of hands wrap under his arms and struggle to pull him up from the ground where he sat dizzy and confused.

 **"GET OFF OF HIM!"** the woman shrieks. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

"WHERE'S RHETT?!" Mr. McLaughlin bellows, his veins starting to pop out of his head. "WHERE'S RHETT, YOU BASTARD? WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

The woman looks up at her son, her worried eyes darting from his black eye and bleeding nose to the bruise on his cheek. Link seems out of it, his eyes staring over her shoulder at nothing. She cups his face and pulls him down, his eyes now staring into hers.

"Charles," the woman whimpers, brushing her hand through his dark brown hair, something she used to do when she would comfort Link as a child. "Where's Rhett?"

Link's lips quiver. "Rhett," he moans, trying his best to not spit blood from his busted lip.

"Yes! Where's Rhett, honey?" Link doesn't answer. He starts to lose his balance, leaning on his mother's shoulder to keep him up. "Charles?"

Link can hear Rhett's voice echo in his head.

"When I start to feel homesick, I'll come back. I'll send letters. I'll try to call, too."

"He's gone," Link whispers.

"WHAT?" Rhett's father snarls under his breath.

Link turns slowly turns his head to the man with cold, dead eyes, looking one second closer to strangling Link. His vision starts to blur, the man's facial features morphing to blobs of color, and Link can feel his knees start to go weak.

"CHARLES!!" his mother screams when Link falls onto her shoulder, his weight too heavy for the woman to carry.

Mrs. McLaughlin rushes to Link. Mr. McLaughlin breathes heavily, his hand on the top of his head, knowing what was happening was 100% his fault.

Though Link was going in and out of consciousness, the question his mother and the rest of the McLaughlin's asked stuck around in his head.

_Where's Rhett?_

The answer: Link had no idea either.  
Link would've loved to know where exactly Rhett was, but there was one thing he knew for sure: Rhett's already long gone, and there was no telling whether he'd come back or not.

If only he had stopped Rhett and talked him out of committing his plan, none of this would've happened. He wouldn't get beaten up by Rhett's father on the sidewalk while Link's mother was praying he wouldn't be put into a coma. If only he had known what would happen the day after Rhett's leave.


	2. The Day Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day before Link's injuries, the day Rhett confesses about leaving their hometown and Link.

##### THE DAY BEFORE

Rhett wanted to leave.

He wanted to pack his things and leave his hometown as soon as possible. The thought of doing so has been circling in his head since the beginning of summer vacation, ignoring the fact that he was going into his senior year of high school. Eventually, he got to the point of giving out his things to Link, turning away the dark-haired boy's questions of why. Rhett sometimes made excuses on the spot, not surprised when it would go right over Link's head.

It wasn't new to Rhett that Link was oblivious. He's known this for a while, and he would take advantage of that, lying to Link whenever he felt it was needed or when it wasn't. There were times when Link would catch on and confront Rhett about some of his lies, but the taller boy would brush him off. 

Rhett was a selfish asshole. But Link made him feel as if he were the most important person to him, looking up at him with sparkling blue eyes, a look he never saw Link give to other people, not even his mother. He knew he was Link's only friend, the smaller boy always bragging to people about how good friends they were to each other. Rhett was horrible, but Link didn't think so, or, if he did, he wasn't doing a good job showing it.

Suddenly, he breaks out of his thoughts and catches himself back in reality, taking in his surroundings. He sits in the driver's seat of his car driving down the road, his eyes staring down the horizon. It's getting late, the sky's bright vibrant shades of yellow and orange fading into darker shades. Rhett looks beside him to see a sleeping Link with his head turned facing him and his eyelids twitching.

He looks so pretty when he sleep. He doesn't snore loudly like Rhett does. He looks so peaceful…and pretty. Rhett tries to keep his eyes on the road, but he takes a glance or two at the beautiful boy, his eyes tracing his peach lips. He takes his hand away quickly when a piece of dark brown hair falls onto Link's forehead. Rhett keeps one hand on the steering wheel and one hand reaching towards Link. With his fingers, Rhett combs the blue-eyed boy's hair back, his fingers eventually finding their way to his eyelashes, brushing them softly. He moves his way back to his hair, taken aback by how soft and smooth it is.

Link opens an eye. "What?" Rhett yanks his hand away from Link's scalp and slams it against the rim of the steering wheel. Link sits up in his seat, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "What happened?"

"You...had something on your face," Rhett lies, avoiding eye contact with Link so he wouldn't see how red his cheeks flushed out of embarrassment. "We're heading back home now. I guess the drive around town tired you out a bit."

Link squints at Rhett and shrugs. "I guess so," Link responds lowly before looking back out the window. "It was nice though. It wasn't too hot or anything like that.. It was a nice day."

Rhett swallows, his stomach churning, believing the nauseous feeling was a sign telling him now being the right time to tell Link everything. He clears his throat and croaks, "You ever get tired of...doing this? Driving around town and seeing the same old things?"

Link sighs, "No, I don't. I find it kinda...comforting, you know?" Rhett keeps his eyes on the road, fighting the urge to shake his head no. "Perhaps, that's what I like about it cause I don't have to worry about certain things changing for the worse-"

"But what about the best?" Rhett interrupts, glancing at Link. "I mean, there's only so much we could see in this...empty town with the same faces and the same buildings. Nothing ever changes around here. This place could use some improvements instead of just…being bland all the damn time."

Link quirks an eyebrow. "You sound bothered," he points out. "Something on your mind or something?"

Rhett bucks his lips, trying to stop himself from explaining anything else to him. He gives in when he asks, "You ever get...sick of it?"

"Well, what's there to be sick of-"

"I'm sick of everything! The buildings, the endless fields of grass, the faces. It's horrible!" Rhett shouts, Link almost jumping out of his seat from how loud he got. "I hate it here. I don't know if I can stay here any longer."

Link furrows his brows, looking at Rhett as if he were crazy. "What're you sayin', Rhett?-"

"I'm-" Rhett stops himself, feeling like he were about to vomit right there on the spot. Maybe this were another one of the signs, except this one was telling him to stop. He inhales sharply. "I've been thinking about moving since the beginning of summer vacation." Before Link can even open his mouth, Rhett raises a hand, stopping him from making any remarks. "I have everything planned out. I have family out there who said they could take me in. I have money and a car and a map. I know where I'm going, so I don't have anything to worry about."

Link stares. He balls his fist and covers his face. Rhett reaches to touch Link's shoulder before Link bellows back, "WHAT?!" He glares at Rhett. "How can you say that like it so damn easy?"

"I got everything under control. I know what I'm doing."

Link hesitates. "Are you on drugs?" he asks in a whisper.

"What? No, I'm not on drugs-"

"Then what the hell are you thinking, Rhett? D'you think you can just pack your things and leave? What about your family?"

"I'll send them a card," Rhett jokes, but he bites down his jaw to prevent Link from noticing his smile. "I thought you would be more understanding. I've spent weeks trying to think of how I was going to tell you."

"And what about me?" Link whimpers. "Is...that easy for you, leaving me behind?" Rhett doesn't respond. "Is it me?" Rhett rolls his eyes. "Don't you fucking ignore me!"

"No! It's not you!" Rhett spits. "I've been having second thoughts about it because of you. I don't want to leave you behind. You're the only thing that's keeping me from going." Link sinks into his seat in distraught, making Rhett realize his mistake. "Person. You' re the only person that's keeping me from leaving, Link."

Link nods, "But damn, will it feel good forgetting me while you're surrounded by strangers in a new town, huh?" Rhett sighs heavily in defeat. Link turns his head away from him and looks out the window on his side, watching a blur of green from the trees passing by through his tears..

_____________________________________________________________________________

The drive back to Link's place was quiet. Rhett assumed Link was ready to punch him in the nose if he even shifted in his seat. It was safer to keep quiet, Rhett thought.

Link jumps out of the car and slams the door shut without saying a word to Rhett. "Wait!" Rhett unbuckles his seat belt and chases after Link before he could knock on the front door. He grabs his arm. "Link, please-"

"Get off of me!" Link growls, trying to pry himself away from Rhett's grip. "Get off! Fuck around with your new friends! Get off!" Rhett tackles Link to the ground, pinning his arms against the dirt. Link spits at Rhett's face.

"LINK!" Rhett screams. "I FEEL LONELY!" Link lets out a shaky breath, watching Rhett start to cry, loosening his grip around Link's wrists. "It's horrible here! I hate it so much it makes me sickI I have to get out of here. I don't have anyone to talk to but you, and the fact that I can't even do that now just makes me..." Rhett hides his face in the palms of his hands. "I can't do it anymore" he sobs.

Rhett sits on Link's lap as he sits up, holding in a groan from the weight on his thighs.

"Rhett," Link whispers, "I didn't know you..." Rhett cries quietly, making Link feel even worse. He hasn't seen him cry or get emotional in front of him since they met. If he ever wanted to cry, Link sure as hell didn't notice. "I'm sorry." Link reaches up and pulls Rhett down into a hug. Though he doesn't understand him, he tries his best to comfort him.

Rhett hugs Link tightly, crying into his shoulder.

"If...that's what you wanna do, then go for it," Link murmurs, rubbing circles in Rhett's back. 

Rhett pulls away. His eyes are red and watery and circled with eyebags from the nights he's stayed up second-guessing himself. He smiles softly at the shorter boy.

"You should probably move. My legs are falling asleep." Link smiles widely at Rhett as he chuckles. He stands up and pulls Link from the ground. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Tonight," Rhett mutters. "They said it was going to take a couple of hours to get there."

Link frowns. "This is the last time we'll see each other?"

"You can come with me," Rhett suggests, walking up to Link and holding his shoulders. "We can see what else is out there. Me and you. Together."

Dark hair flops all over the place as Link shakes his head. "I can't. I gotta take care of my mom." Rhett responds with a faint "oh" that Link barely makes out. "I'm all she got, you know? But thanks for the invitation." Rhett nods, sniffling. "But, uhm, what about your parents? I don't want them to blame me like they always do."

"I'm gonna leave them a note."

Link's brows shoot up. "You're not gonna tell them straight out?" The light-haired boy mouths a 'no'. "Damn. How long will you be gone for?"

"I'm not sure. But, when I start to hate that place or when I start to feel homesick, I'll come back." There's a moment of silence, the boys stare into each other's eyes, one teary-eyed, but not worried, while the other's nervous. "I'll send letters. I'll try to call you, too."

Rhett starts to walk back to his car, waving goodbye to Link as he waves back. Link slowly approaches the car, feeling the urge to stop Rhett, but quickly dismissing it. This was what he wanted.

Rhett jumps in his car and rolls the window down. "Goodbye, Link."

"Bye." He watches as Rhett drives off, his eyes wandering to the dark blue sky.

And just like that, Rhett was gone. Link questions why it was so easy for Rhett to just get up and leave. But, then again, Rhett said he's been thinking about leaving for the past couple of months, one of the reasons being Link..

Link let Rhett slip away. He curses himself for not fighting to keep his best friend from leaving. Maybe it was for the better. Or maybe it was for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey! I'm having a little fun with this soooo yeaaaah!


	3. Empty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link's has trouble coping with Rhett's leave.

It's been a couple of weeks since Rhett's runaway. That's what Link called it since he left in the middle of the night without telling his parents. Since then, he's been waiting for that call, the one where Rhett clears Link's name. Until then, Mr. McLaughlin is quick to blame Link.

Link didn't want his mother to press charges on the large man no matter how much she wanted to.

He sits on the spot in front of the television with his legs crossed and his back arched, his cold, dead eyes staring at the screen, and his face illuminated by the flashing bright colors of the cartoons playing softly. He feels empty. The nauseous feeling of his intestines twisting when Rhett left had quieted down. Now, he feels nothing. 

He raises his head and glances at the telephone in the corner of his eye, and he can hear ringing echoing in his head, but the phone sits still on the coffee table. Rhett hasn't called like he said he would. Like he told Link he was going to. Rhett couldn't have just left Link, but that's what happened. 'That's what exactly he did,' says the voice in the back of his head. He packed his things and left. But Rhett said Link was the thing that held him back. _'Thing,'_ Rhett said.

"Charles," his mother whispers, her footsteps growing louder as she approaches Link from behind, "are you joining me for dinner?" She gets no response. "Are you going to eat?" He nods his head a no.

His mother walks closer to Link, where he sits. She stops a couple of feet away from him, and there's a moment of silence. Link can hear his mother sigh before her footsteps fade.

Link lets out a deep exhale, feeling hot tears starting to form. Part of him wanted to tell his mother about how he was feeling. Perhaps that was how Rhett was feeling a couple of days ago. But Link can't runaway like Rhett. He's too afraid to adapt to new situations or new environments. Link thought it was safer in an environment where he didn't have to worry about negative changes. Or, when he did, Rhett was there to help him. Link's all alone now. For how long, he knows not.


	4. Going Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link, now 27, goes back to his hometown where his mother stayed. He acts as a delivery boy for his mother to drop something off at the McLaughlin's.

The air smells a little different. Some buildings are gone while others are under construction, and some are unfamiliar to Link as he passes them by in his car. He hasn't gone back to his childhood home in a while. The path to his mother's house is still a little foggy, but he's not in a rush. He had plenty of time if it meant he got to see his mother again. Those long, warm hugs he hated as a teen were now reasons he was excited to see that woman.

He pulls up to the house and stops the car. He jumps out and starts walking up the steps.

He raises his knuckles and knocks on the door. "Mom!" he shouts, trying to hold back a smile when he hears her footsteps. The door opens to reveal his mother with a big smile and sparkling eyes. "Mom-"

Link is interrupted when his mother pulls him down into a tight hug. Her hair is so much grayer now. "I'm so happy to see you!" She rocks side to side, Link grunting, realizing he's taller than he used to be, and the pain in his back was new since he had to almost crouch to his mother's height. She pushes him away and grabs his hands. Link, with his free hand, shuts the door behind him. "I was making some coffee just now. Come, come!"

She pulls him inside the house and sits him down at the kitchen table.

"Do you still like how I made your coffee?" she asks.

"Yeah. I've been making it the same way for..." he pauses, his eyebrows furrowing as he goes back into his memories, "how long have I been away?"

"Seven years," the woman chirps, spoons clanking against the coffee mug, "You moved out when you were 20. Speaking of which, how's Evan?"

Evan was Link's partner and roommate, a short man with a shorter temper. He was the angry one of the two, always starting a fight or the smallest things. The "arguments" would end with Link emptily apologizing. They've been together for about eight years, but, recently, Link's been getting tired of the same old fights and the same old insults he swore Evan meant no matter how many times he apologized. Link was growing tired of Evan, so he decided going back to his hometown would help him get his mind off of those thoughts.

"He's been better," Link sighs disappointingly. "I mean, you've seen how he gets. He's still the same angry man."

His mother plants the mug in front of Link. "I don't like the way he talks to you. You should do something about it if you get what I mean." Link looks up at his mother.

"I can't break up with him. I mean," Link pulls the mug closer to him, acting as a barrier he can hide behind, "he's got some good traits. He's got frequent mood swings, is all."

His mother hums and sits in front of Link with her cup of coffee. "Has he hit you?" she asks.

He has, but they were just little hits that stung like mosquito bites, but that's how Link puts it. "He's small, so it doesn't hurt or anything." Link takes a sip of his coffee. "He's been a lot louder these past couple of days, though. I thought it'd be nice to get away from him for a little while."

Link looks around the kitchen, making sure to avoid his mother's stink eye. He attempts to change the subject, saying, "You got more chicken figurines, huh?"

She turns around and smiles at the windowsill decorated with porcelain chickens and the chicken curtains. "Yup. Went out of town for those," she chirps, "they were kinda expensive, but I thought they were pretty cute."

Link smiles. "Yeah. I missed it." He looks at his mother.

"I missed you, Charles," she whispers. "You should come by more often. Make some time for your mom."

Link laughs, "I missed you, too."

__________________________________________

The tall man walks out of the house, a sky of orange and yellow, and a warm breeze greeting him. He hugs his mother and waves goodbye as he gets back into his car. It was time to go back to his apartment, where Evan was probably waiting for Link to come back and bicker about him leaving without telling Evan.

Link sits in the driver's seat before he pulls out his phone. "Shit," he hisses under his breath after reading the 12 missed calls from Evan. He decides to call him back. The phone rings at least three times before he's sent to voicemail. "Yup, he's mad."

Link sighs and digs his head into the steering wheel, the car horn blaring. He picks his head back up. He starts the car until he can hear his mother calling out his name.

"Charles!" The woman walks up to the passenger window and holds out a cookbook. "Can you drop this off at the McLaughlin's? I borrowed this from them a while ago."

Link takes the book and drops it in the passenger's seat. "Okay. You think they still hate me?" Link jokes.

"I am 80% sure," she responds. "Now, get going."

"Yes, ma'am." Link smiles and drives off.

He hasn't seen the McLaughlin's in years, making a vow to never show his face to them since Rhett left. It's been ten years since he ran away. Rhett should be the same age as Link, 27. He wonders if Rhett's doing okay. The thought of him hasn't passed his mind in years. He's never sent any letters or made any calls to Link, and that's what made the memory of Rhett forgetful.

His phone vibrates and chimes in his pocket, quickly pulling it out with his free hand while the other stays on the wheel. It's Evan. He answers the phone.

"Where are you?" Evan asks lowly, but Link can hear a growl in his voice. "You should've been here by now, where are you?"

Link rolls his eyes and sighs, "I wanted to see my mother." No response. "I'll be back at the end of the day. I promise I'll make it up to you, Evan. I missed her."

"Well, I'm going out to eat. Don't expect me to be there when you get back." He hangs up.

Link looks down at his phone. "Shit."

__________________________________________

The welcome mat isn't so welcoming, considering he always felt like the McLaughlins could pull a shotgun on him whenever he got Rhett into trouble. He knocks on the door, starting to feel a little lightheaded. He swallows as he watches the doorknob turn.

"Hey, Mrs. McLaughlin," Link croaks.

Link's taken aback by her soft, friendly smile. "You've gotten so big," the woman laughs. "How are you, Link?"

"I'm good." Link holds out the cookbook. "My mother wanted me to give this back to you." He drops the book into the woman's hands. "Also, do you mind if I used your restroom?"

"Of course." She moves aside as Link passes her and shuts the door. Mrs. McLaughlin seemed like a bold, cold woman when Link was a teenager, almost afraid of her when she was around the two boys. "D'you remember where it's at?"

He glances into the living room, eyeing the unfamiliar furniture and the different placements of the old furniture. The walls used to be covered in pictures of Rhett when he was in grade school. Link snarls at the boring beige walls.

"Yup. Like it was yesterday," Link sighs before heading up the stairs.

He walks down the hallway until something catches his eye: Rhett's room. He walks back and stops in front of the white door. Link's hand hovers just above the doorknob, feeling a sense of nostalgia pass through him. He remembers when he and Rhett would sit around and talk about who knows what when they were 10, or when they would tell each other the new bad words they heard on the street or in school or from their parents.

He opens the door to find a cold and quiet room. It looks as if it were made into a guest room judging by how clean it looked. But he can see the same shelves that Rhett kept his figurines on.

Link walks up and grabs one of the figurines, blowing some of the dust off. He smiles until he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Mrs. McLaughlin howl followed by laughter downstairs.

He ignores it and puts the doll back in its place. He remembers Rhett didn't like sharing his dolls with the rest of the kids at school. Even when he was a teenager, he wouldn't let anyone grab them off the shelf.

"Link?" Link turns around, facing an unfamiliar, tall, bearded man with light brown curls and big green eyes standing a couple of feet away. 


	5. Feelings of Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has trouble with his feelings towards Rhett's sudden appearance.

Link gawks at the unfamiliar man's features: long light brown curls, a well-kempt beard, and he's freakishly tall. He looks homeless, but he knows the McLaughlin's wouldn't let just anyone into their home. At his sides, two pieces of luggage. There was something familiar about him.

"Link?" the man speaks, his voice low and hoarse.

The way he walks closer to Link even seems familiar. He walks with his feet pointed outward, unlike Link, who walks with his toes pointed towards each other. Rhett always made fun of the way the shorter boy walked, saying he walked around like a "shy penguin." The man walks with confidence, just like Rhett did.

"Rhett." Link palms his forehead and cracks a smile in realization. The man nods his head and smiles widely. "Rhett?!"

Rhett sprints towards Link and wraps his arms around him. "It's so good to see you, man!" Rhett howls before swaying Link's body side to side, his body stiff as a board.

Though Link knew it was Rhett, he couldn't help but feel a sense of uncomfortableness, almost as if he were dancing with a stranger in a dark room. There was so much of him that was unusual. Rhett wasn't the type to give hugs, not even accept a hug. He wasn't so big on being touched since the two met. The warm embrace causes Link to hug Rhett back.

Rhett grasps Link's shoulders. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Link hesitates, and his surroundings start to slow down. Of course, Link was happy to see Rhett. But, at the same time, this was the same person who never sent a letter or ever made any calls to make sure everything was okay. Rhett doesn't know that the day after he left, his father bruised Link's face up pretty bad, and if it weren't for Link's mother being there, Link would've had a concussion. Rhett doesn't know how hard it's been on Link or how lonely he's felt when all he had was himself in school.

"You look," Link quivers, his chest rising and falling, "different," He points at the top of Rhet's head. "I didn't know you had curly hair."

Rhett runs his hand through his golden locks. "That's cause I never grew it out." Rhett counters Link's observation with his own, pointing at Link's face. "You got yourself a hairy little friend now."

Link feels around his face in confusion before he feels around his mustache. He chuckles, "you don't like it? It's just something I'm trying out."

"It's new," Rhett mumbles. "It suits you." He smiles softly, the two staring at each other for a good three seconds until the taller man laughs, "I don't know about myself, though. It might be a hit or miss situation."

Link crosses his arms and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. It's getting awkward.

"So, what're you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here?" Link repeats. _That was a little too pushy._ He clears his throat and croaks, "I had to drop something off for my mom. What about you?"

Rhett grins and walks more into the room. He plants his luggage on the clean bed. "Well, I called my parents a couple of days and told them I'd be staying here a while. Lucky they weren't in a bad mood or anything, huh? My dad woulda strangled me through the phone."

Link wanted to be the one to strangle Rhett when he came back. But looking at those big muscley arms of his, he thought it'd be best to push his plans aside, only for a while at least.

"I'm taking a little break from traveling," Rhett continues, "and I kinda missed this place." His face contorts into an expression of disgust when he scans the room's bland furniture and boring walls. "Or, what it used to be."

_Miss? What was there to miss? This place is the whole reason he left._

"It's good to see you, Link."

Link hated Rhett's guts with a passion when he realized Rhett wasn't going to call back. He wanted to shout in his face about the months he stayed up and sept by the phone waiting for something, anything to help him with the days he felt alone. About the days he felt like it was him against the world.

"You, too," Link says blankly. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time. He cusses under his breath when he reads the 14 missed calls from Evan. "Sorry. I gotta go." Link shuffles past Rhett.

"Wait," Rhett chirps. Link turns around, facing the an sat on the edge of the bed. "We should catch up. I don't have anyone to talk to around here, or, not anymore, cause everybody moved."

"Sure, but what would we talk about?"

"Anything! We could meet here or go out to eat. I wanna see what Mr. Link Neal has been up to for the past 7 years-"

"10 years," Link blurts. "I haven't seen you around in 10 years." Rhett lowers his head in shame. "That sounds pretty cool. Can I have your number so I can call you?" Rhett nods and the two exchange hone numbers. Link waves goodbye and hurries down the stairs. Luckily, the McLaughlin's are in the other room, so Link was able to sprint out the front door.

Rhett was back, but Link didn't know how to feel about it. The fact that he left hasn't bothered Link for a while. Memories of the two together in their teen years start flooding in as Link sits in his car, gripping the steering wheel tight. He huffs angrily and bites his lip. He sighs deeply and rests his head on the steering wheel.

_**What an asshole.** _ ********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the late update :( I was having some technical difficulties and now I'm starting online school due to the pandemic :( but I'll make some time for this fic :))) I love it too much


	6. A Meeting and an Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett meets up with Link for breakfast, surprised to see Link's partner, Evan joining them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there! :) sorry about the late update :( I have school now, so my schedule is way off. I really want to write this fic, so I'll do my best with it. I'll make a schedule, and once I do, I'll tell it to you guys :) I've been gone for a while and I didn't mean to keep you guys waiting or anything. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Link's smooth skin and athletic build made Rhett a little jealous. He looked like he was taking good care of himself, something Rhett struggled with throughout his life. Rhett couldn't help but glance at Link's adam's apple slide up and down his throat whenever Link spoke. Link's eyes stayed as blue and round as they were when he was a teenager. But they don't sparkle like they used to. They seemed colder when they landed on Rhett after he came into the room to greet Link. His back isn't as arched as it used to be in high school, Rhett points out, making a mental note when the two were talking. He stood straight, and Rhett can tell that Link was only a couple of inches away from being his height.

The two discussed, over text, about when and where they wanted to eat. Rhett and Link decided they were going to have breakfast at a little restaurant that was about half an hour away from Rhett's place.

Rhett takes his phone out of his pocket, the time reading 8:48 a.m. "Shit," he hisses, realizing he's going to be late. He shoves his phone back in his pocket and puts on a sweater.

He runs out of his room and heads downstairs, greeting his mother with a smile as she stands behind the stove. "Where are you going?" she asks.

"I'm meeting up with Link at some restaurant for breakfast," Rhett replies before planting a quick kiss on the woman's cheek. "Won't be long."

He walks out of the house and jumps into his car.

On his way to the restaurant, Rhett thinks about what he's going to say to Link. Perhaps they can start with small talk and see where it goes from there because Rhett was genuinely interested in what Link was up to during the years Rhett was gone. He wanted to know everything about the dark-haired man.

He snarls in disgust after remembering what his father had told him last night at dinner. He explained to Rhett about the day after he left. He said he had almost beaten Link to a pulp, giving the boy a couple of bruises, a bloody nose, and a black eye. The thought of a bloodied and bruised Link makes Rhett's stomach drop to his stomach. He knew it was his fault.

Another thing to think about for Rhett was how he was going to apologize for everything he'd done to Link. He wanted to apologize for all the things he did to Link that Rhett didn't know.

Surprisingly, Rhett gets to the restaurant before Link. He pulls his phone out again and checks the time.

"Hey, Rhett," a small voice coos. Rhett looks up to see Link with a soft smile. His green eyes glance at the man standing beside him with short blonde hair and a forced smile. "I brought someone with me. I hope that's okay with you."

"Sure," Rhett stammers, "hurry up and sit down. I'm starving."

The two men sit beside each other in front of Rhett. The blond scoots closer to Link. Link tries his best to distance himself from Evan with an uncomfortable look on his face. Rhett sees this but says nothing.

"Oh, this is Evan," Link blurts. "Evan, this is Rhett. We used to be friends since first grade."

The phrase used to makes Rhett clench his teeth nervously. The blond reaches his hand out, and the two men shake hands.

"Sorry about our lateness. Link said we had to be here by nine," Evan mutters.

Rhett gives Evan a confused look. "That's what I said," he claims.

Evan scoffs under his breath. "Well, I mean, who gets breakfast? Nobody. People are always going out for lunch or dinner." He laughs, "I had to wake up early to get here, is all."

"It was just supposed to be Rhett and me, Evan" Link mumbles.

Rhett's eyes awkwardly glance at the two.

"So, you don't want me here?" Evan asks. He looks tense. He crosses his arms and huffs. "I should've just stayed home."

Link turns his body towards Evan. "I told you we were getting up early to eat breakfast. You said it was too early, but once I started getting ready, you did, too."

"So?"

"So, you knew where we were going and when. Now that we're here, you're already complaining about it," Link whispers as if Rhett wasn't able to hear.

Evan rolls his eyes, annoyed. "I'm not complaining."

"Yes, you are," Link scowls. "Forget it. Let's eat and go back home if that makes you feel any better." Evan furrows his brows. "Evan-"

The blond gets up from his seat and storms out of the restaurant. Rhett watches Link lower his head and mumble to himself.

"What happened?" Rhett stammers.

Link sighs and turns his head to Rhett. "He's always like that. I told him we were supposed to have breakfast, but he wanted to come along, and now he's mad."

"Who is he? How long have you guys known each other?"

"Um, we've been dating for a few years, but we take breaks from each other a lot," Link chuckles awkwardly.

_What? Is he?_

"I didn't know you were...wait, are you..."

Link tilts his head and smiles. "Gay?" he finishes. Rhett nods. "Oh, yeah. I found out when I was about 20, came out to my mom when I was 21, and here I am. Pretty cool, huh?" Link laughs.

Rhett was a little taken aback. Link used to be surrounded by girls in school. Girls fell in love with his looks. From his soft, dark hair, to his pretty eyes, girls were hypnotized by all of him.

"What about you?" Link asks.

Rhett starts to panic a little. During the years he's been gone, he's been having an identity crisis. Yes, he's dated girls, but he would find himself staring a little too long at the stunningly attractive men who walked around the beach with their surfboards. Rhett's eyes traced the way their wet suits hugged their bodies.

"Uh, I uh-"

"You got a girlfriend?"

Rhett's worried eyes squint as a nervous smile forms on his face. "Girlfriend? I've had a couple, but no one at the moment," Rhett chuckles, hoping Link didn't suspect anything at his hesitant response. he attempts to change the subject back to Evan. "Evan, was it? He was being a total jerk to you. Why didn't you say anything?"

Link shrugs and exhales, "Because I don't want to make things worse." Rhett quirks a brow. "Didn't. I'm lucky if he doesn't end up going off on me."

"Well, you're bigger than he is. Stand your ground, Link."

"He gets mad and tries to hit me. I can't do that!" Link squeaks. "I just wish he wasn't so hot-headed."

Rhett hated Evan as soon as he walked in, the look of annoyance making Rhett want to tell him off. He hated him more when he started complaining about something so stupid. He just found out Evan slaps Link around.

"Earlier, you said you take breaks with him a lot. What does that mean?" Rhett asks cautiously, hoping he isn't getting too personal.

"Oh, you know, we get tired of each other, sometimes" Link murmurs, leaning in closer. "He would cheat on me a lot, and instead of facing the problem, he would leave. I try to talk to him about it and stuff but he just gets irritated as if I'm trying to start a fight or something."

"Have you ever thought about leaving?"

Link furrows his brows, a signal for Rhett to "back off," but he thinks for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Yeah," he confesses. "But, there's always something that brings me back to him. I guess it's because I think I'd feel guilty about it. When we take breaks, we both know how it ends; us getting back together and all." He frowns. "I don't know."

_Poor guy._

Rhett changes the subject the second time. "We should probably get menus," he chirps. "Hey, if he doesn't want to eat breakfast, that's on him."

Link chuckles. "Yeah," he says confidently. "Hey, hey," he leans in, "this is our day. Our breakfast, man."

"That's right!" Rhett exclaims.

__________________________________________

Rhett and Link walk out the front doors, their eyes looking at Evan on the phone sat in Link's car.

Rhett turns to Link. "Um, I wanted to apologize for everything," he whispers. "I heard about what happened with you and my dad."

Link stays quiet. That was a memory he thought he had forgotten, but, for some reason, it feels like it happened just yesterday. He remembers the sky, the smell, the shouting. He can feel one of his eyes start to twitch.

"I never called you or anything. That was a shitty thing for me to do, and I'm sorry," Rhett continues, "I get if you hated my guts back then. You can hate me all you want, I just want you to know that I'm really sorry."

Link looks up at Rhett. He raises his hand, poking Rhett's forehead, then his.

"You're still taller than me" Link smiles. "I always used to say how I would someday be taller than you." He puts his hand down and nods. "I forgive you."

But he won't forget about the things that happened while Rhett was gone. The fact that he didn't refuse his apology shocked Link, but he wanted to be close to Rhett again. Link wanted to be his friend again. He misses him.

"I gotta go," Link chirps. "Evan's gonna be pissed about us not eating without him."

"We should do this again," Rhett says. "I'll call you so we meet up. See ya'!" Rhett exclaims before heading to his car.

"You, too!" Link shouts back.

Link didn't care about asking why Rhett did all those things. He didn't care about telling the bearded man about the thing's Link had to go through because of him. Rhett apologized, and that was enough for Link.


	7. Disloyal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link realizes how Evan's disloyalty has put him down

Link's phone reads 1:28 p.m. He quickly shoves his phone back into his pocket and continues driving. Suddenly, he can feel as if something was staring at him, causing him to turn to where Evan sat in the passenger seat, his eyes quickly darting away from Link and out the window beside him.

"You still mad?" Link exhales. Evan responds with a low and childish hmph. "It's still pretty early. Do you wanna go anywhere?"

Evan crosses his arms angrily. "Just take me home," he scoffs, "I wanted to go to sleep as soon as we got home because Brett, or whatever his name is, was an idiot for making breakfast plans."

"Rhett," Link corrects, "You can't say that. He wanted to do something nice."

"Nice? I didn't even get to eat, Link! Who does that? Breakfast plans." Link couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes."

Link struggles to talk and drive at the same time, so he stutters through his sentences. "I called you on the phone because I wanted you to come back inside. You kept hanging up. What, did you want me to go out and drag you inside?"

In defeat, Evan looks away from Link.

Hesitantly, Link says, "I'll make you something when we get home, then." The blond glances at the mustached man. "It's not fair that I got to eat breakfast and you didn't. I'm sorry for leaving you out."

Evan leans back in his seat. "That's what I thought."

The two men arrive at the apartment. Link shuts the door behind him and stretches his arms out, letting out a faint groan. It's as clean as he left it, the dark wood flooring practically sparkling before Link's eyes. He remembers being proud of his cleaning, but Evan didn't do much to show any appreciation to Link's sweeping, or mopping, or washing.

He takes his shoes off and shuffles forward, collapsing into the couch across the room. He throws his head back and closes his eyes, hoping to get those three hours of sleep he lost when he woke up for Rhett's plan for breakfast. It was too early for Link, but the upside was that he got to eat pancakes, something he's been craving for a long while.

"So, what do you want me to make?" Link asks, folding his hands and placing them at the top of his head. He opens his eyes to find Evan marching into the bedroom and pacing around. Curious, Link quirks a brow and gets up from the couch. He walks into the room. "Hey, hey. What're you doing?"

Evan walks past Link and into the bathroom. He fixes his hair with some gel and heads back out, avoiding any eye contact from Link. "Forget it. I'm getting a ride off a friend. I'm going out," Evan scowls.

Before he can walk past him, Link pulls the blond's shirt. "Wait, what?" he stammers. "I was gonna make you something. We just got here, and now you're leaving?"

Evan pulls out his phone, tapping aggressively onto the screen. As Link approaches him, he eyes the way Evan grips his phone and pulls it closer to his chest as if he were hiding something. His observation causes the rising of his eyebrows in realization. It was a sign too familiar to Link.

"Are you kidding me?" Link murmurs, loud enough for Evan to turn his head slightly. "You're seeing someone else again?"

"Oh, Shut up!" Evan snaps. "You're always accusing me of-"

"And I'm always right," Link interrupts. He stomps towards Evan, and, in a softer yet angered voice, he asks, "Are you?" Evan hesitates before responding with a nod. Link huffs, "You can't talk now or something?-"

"What do you think?!" Evan yells. "I don't have time for this. I'm leaving."

Evan walks past Link, his shoulder roughly brushing against Link's as he heads out. He slams the door shut, leaving the dark-haired man alone in the dim-lit living room. The light blue walls make Link feel so much colder, and it feels like they're caving in on him.

He always sees it coming, Evan seeing someone new while still in a relationship with Link. Instead of going after him like he always does, Link stays inside, already growing tired of it all. He shuts his eyes and takes a couple of deep breaths in and out.

Calmly, Link opens his eyes. The room suddenly feels so peaceful without Evan around, and that had him thinking. He couldn't hear himself think whenever Evan was nagging and complaining to Link. Link knew Evan wasn't in love with him, and he knew he wasn't either, or not as much as he used to. He's tried to make things work, but it was always something with Evan. He's come back late, or drunk, or he wouldn't come back at all until the next day. Link was getting tired of Evan going off with other people, so it didn't surprise him when Evan "confessed" to seeing someone new.

_"Have you ever thought about leaving?"_

Link gasps softly at the thought of Rhett's question from the restaurant. He remembers feeling a little awkward when Rhett asked that, but he decided to answer the question. He said he had thought about it, but he never acted on it.

"Leave," Link mutters to himself. The dark-haired man inhales deeply and sprints into the bedroom. He rushes to his drawers and scoops up his clothes, throwing them onto the bed before pulling out his luggage from under the bed. _This is crazy_ , he says to himself repeatedly. He found himself folding his clothes and shoving them into the luggage wildly.

Link takes a couple of steps back from the bed, breathing heavily and running his hands through his hair. His hands slide down his face, his fingertips stopping to brush his mustache. He stops and thinks for a brief moment.

He walks into the bathroom and stares at his reflection, growling in disgust at the mustache he always despised. Evan was the one who encouraged Link to grow a mustache. He was also the one who made Link start dyeing his hair black to hide his gray strands, making him feel self-conscious about himself.

Link opens the mirror cabinet and takes out a pair of hair cutting scissors and a razor. From under the sink, he takes out some shaving cream and takes another deep breath.

__________________________________________

He grabs a towel and cleans his face, raising his head to look back at his reflection. Link shrugs at his new look. He doesn't look any different than he did with his bushy stache, but Link isn't bothered by it.

It takes him about half an hour to pack his things, and it takes about two hours for Link's second thoughts to kick in.

If he left, where would he go? The only person out of town who would take him in is his mother, giving him an idea.

Link pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials up his mother's number, raising the phone to his ear, biting his lip as the phone rung.

"Hello? Mom? I'm leaving Evan, and I need a place to stay."


	8. Anticipation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link is ready to leave, but he feels like he should stay behind until Evan comes back.

Evan hasn't come back. It's getting late, and Link is becoming desperate. He can leave now and avoid a fight with Evan, but he doesn't. Instead, he lays down on the couch in the living room with the lights off and the tv playing. The colors of an old cartoon playing on-screen reflect on his glasses, his eyelids fluttering, struggling to stay awake.

The vibration of his phone on the coffee table and loud ringing startles Link. He reaches for the phone, realizing his mother is calling.

He raises the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he says groggily. His mother asks when he is leaving, her voice smooth and concerned. "Uhm, tomorrow. I wanted to tell Evan when he came back, but hasn't. I'm gonna wait until he gets here so I can tell him." The woman replies with 'be careful' and 'bye'.

Link hangs up and sighs deeply, feeling his eyelids get heavier and heavier, and, eventually, he's fast asleep.

_______________________

The morning sun shine's through the cracks of the blinds of the windows. The birds are chirping outside, but Link can't hear them over the thumps of his pacing around the room. He finished eating breakfast a while ago, but he can feel his food coming back up every few seconds with the thought of confronting Evan about his leaving.

"Chill out, Neal," Link says to himself. "Uhm." He looks around for a place to sit.

Link sits on the couch in the living room a couple of feet away from the front door, waiting for Evan. He's biting his nails and taking quick looks at the time on his phone, and he doesn't realize how fast his leg is bouncing. Suddenly, he can hear the jingle of keys. He gasps softly, looking up at the doorknob as it wiggled. He bolts up from his seat and fixes his hair, glancing down at his luggage beside him.

Evan opens the door, raising a brow at Link, weirded out by how still he was standing. "What's going on?" Evan asks, shutting the screen door behind him. Link stares back like a deer in headlights, and he can feel sweat starting to build under his arms. "What the hell did you do to your face?"

The dark-haired man hesitates to answer, picking at his nails with his other hand before he says, "I'm leaving." Link's eyes widen at Evan, looking for a reaction. He doesn't get one, other than Evan crossing his arms with a blank yet annoyed expression on his face. "I don't think this is going to work out anymore. I still have no idea where you were yesterday. You keep doing these things, and I can't keep up with it."

"It's not my fault!" Evan shouts.

"And it's mine?" Link spits back, followed by Evan groaning. "I'm not sleeping around. I've tried to make this work, Evan. I have!"

"You're so full of shit, Link!" Evan hisses. "You're leaving all this shit to me. How do you expect me to pay the rent?"

Link furrows his brows and inhales sharply. "Maybe you can call one of your buddies to take care of that for you." He grabs his luggage and throws his backpack over his shoulder, heading to the front door. "It's not my fault," Link mumbles, "Goodbye." Link walks past Evan and walks out.

He walks down the stairs in front of their apartment. He stops at the bottom and rubs his eyes, feeling the twisting in his stomach from before start to disintegrate. His hands are still a little shaky, pulling his keys out of his pocket with an unsteady grip. Exhaling deeply, he trots over to his car and jumps inside, but he doesn't start the car. Instead, he sits in silence, staring at his hands on the steering wheel. Suddenly, a burst of happiness takes over his body, and he's smiling widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey....hey....how yall doin? sorry about the late thing. I have school and terrible writer's block ;( but, i got a new chapter ready for Sunday!!! I'm going to try writing chapters one after the other before posting them so nothing like this happens again. If it does, my bad. also, I might go over the rest of the chapters, editing them, sort of


	9. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett cleans out his room, finding an old, musical gem in his closet.

"How is he?" Rhett snaps his head up to his mother.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"How's Link Neal?" his mother asks again, pouring herself and Rhett a glass of lemonade. "He and I spoke a few words when he came over."

Rhett clears his throat and looks around the kitchen, shifting in his chair. "He's different." His mother hands him a glass and sits in front of him at the table. "He's skinnier than I am, and he grew a mustache."

The woman nods. "I saw that. Not sure if it's a good look on him, though." She laughs and takes a sip of her drink.

"Me either," Rhett laughs. He looks down at the trim of his glass. "I talked to him about what happened when I left, and I apologized."

The woman nods and asks, "And what did he say?"

He hesitates. Link accepted his apology, but it couldn't help but feel fake to Rhett. Or maybe he's thinking about it too much. Link seemed uneasy. He hasn't seen Rhett in years, so Rhett brushes it off, knowing he felt a little awkward meeting Link after a couple of years too.

"He didn't say anything," he sighs. "I haven't seen him in so long. He looks like he's got everything together." His mother scoffs. "What?"

"Link Neal? Trouble Maker, Link Neal, has cooled down?" she chuckles. "I suppose it might rain cats and dogs tomorrow, too. Remember that fight you got into because of him?"

"It wasn't his fault," Rhett mutters. "Adam was his name, and he had it coming. It was just between that kid and me. Link wasn't involved." He lets out a shaky breath, lying through his teeth, hoping his mother wouldn't notice.

"Right, but he knew where to find you and decided to bring you back home?" The woman shrugs as Rhett grunts. "Grounding you was a bad idea, too. He always found a way to get to you, sending letters every damn day."

He sent letters every day to Rhett while they were apart, talking about the new music he's heard on the radio, or how his day was. Rhett sent a couple back, but he wasn't as consistent as Link. If he were, he would've lost his mind.

The woman gets up from her seat and walks into the living room. "Alright. You should go through the closet in your room. There're some things you might wanna throw out and some things you wanna put in."

"Yes, ma'am."

Rhett walks into his room, and his eyes can't help to dart from one unfamiliar sight to another: the blankets, the furniture arrangement, the pictures on the walls. His parents had turned his room into a guest room, taking the form of simplicity with a color palette of beige, white, and grey. It's boring, but it'll have to do.

He grabs his luggage from the floor and begins unpacking, putting his clothes on clothing hangers, one after the other. After finishing up, he shuffles over to the closet, sliding the doors open, a cardboard box at the top shelf falling a couple of inches beside him, scaring him half to death and causing him to let out a quick yelp.

Reluctantly, Rhett reaches down for the box, his curiosity getting the best of him as he turns the box over, reading the letters written in the front with black ink.

Rhett

He shrugs and walks over to his bed, deciding to open the box and see what's inside. He folds the flaps open and smiles. It's filled with the old toys that he used to play with as a kid, fighting the urge to do so as a grown man. His hand digs deeper into the box, looking around inside.

And, then, he finds it: a dusty cassette tape with his name scribbled in red ink. He furrows his brows and feels around for his cassette player, and, smiling, he finds it, blowing some of the dust at the top. He looks back at the cassette tape, tilting his head in confusion.

It wasn't his writing. It was Links'. He knew Link wrote his name down-not by memory because he has no idea when or where he made the tape-by the way the tail of the last t in Rhett curved into a tiny heart. Link knew Rhett hated whenever he drew a heart by Rhett's name, but he'd do it anyway.

He pops the tape into the cassette player and presses play, and there's a couple of seconds of white noise before he can hear someone clearing their throat.

"Hey, Rhett," Link's younger self mutters. Embarrassingly, Rhett replies with a low hey. "So, uh, I heard about the fight. I heard you punched someone because they were talking crap about me."

Rhett looks down at his knuckles, remembering the way they clashed with that kid's cheek. He doesn't remember his name, but he does remember how bright that day was, and he was about 16 at the time. They met up at a cow pasture after school when Rhett confronted the guy who was making fun of Link behind his back. Link wasn't there to see it, showing up after the fight was over to drag Rhett back home with a bleeding nose. Of course, there was a punishment.

"Uhm, so, now that we're grounded and we can't see each other, I thought it'd be nice to send you a little something as a way of saying thank you for being a good friend, even if that means you have to risk having a black eye or two."

Rhett can hear Link humming a tune, followed by footsteps.

"I, uh, also hope you have a good day today. Is that weird? I hope not. I dunno, I just hope you're doing okay without me." Link chuckles, "Anywho, this is for you."

Silence, followed by a click of a button, and suddenly, Merle Haggard's Driftwood starts playing. Rhett smiles widely at the tune, and he can hear Link singing in the background. He could turn it off and continue working on his room, but instead, he lays back on his bed and places the cassette player on his chest. He could play the song on his phone on put on his earphones, but he doesn't, his mind occupied with his breathing as he shuts his eyes and listens to the music.

_

Following Driftwood are more songs by Merle, most of them being Rhett's favorites back when he was a teenager. There's something about his music that makes him feel warm. Perhaps it's because he hasn't listened to his music in years, and he can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

"That's it," Link says at the end of one of the songs. "That should be enough music to occupy your time." Rhett sits upright on his bed, his finger about to press stop before he's interrupted by Link's voice. "I hope I'm not being too dramatic or anything. I mean, we have to stay inside and away from each other during summer break I'm pretty sure it's only for a week, but still. It sucks, and I'm bored, and I thought it'd be a great time to make you playlist of a sort. Bye, now."

Rhett sits upright at the edge of his bed, running his hands down his face, dragging the skin under his eyes.

"Rhett!" Mr. Mclaughlin shouts from outside, his booming voice startling Rhett. He scrambles over to the window and looks down at his father's car parked in the driveway, and he can see his father carrying a brown paper bag in his arms. "Come down here!"

Yawning, Rhett shuffles out of his room and walks down the stairs, and he can hear his father's footsteps echo in the kitchen.

"Help me get these bags," his father croaks as Rhett passes by the kitchen.

He walks outside and trots towards the car, reaching in the backseat for a brown paper bag full of groceries. He starts to head back inside until he hears a car passing by in front, turning his head to the street.

At first, he thought it was just another car passing by until he squinted his eyes, and his vision focused on the person in the driver's seat. Dark hair, light skin, and glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose and his eyes, familiar and as blue as the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM REALLY SORRY I WAs so busy. I had to repaint my room and just ugh, I am really sorry :(( but hey! I got another chapter prepared soon :))))

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! This is pretty short cause it's like a little introduction sooo yeah!


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